Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Archives

London The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards Westminster

London, The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City, c.1750-51

The Old Horse Guards. Copyright: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation

The New Horse Guards from St James’s Park. · Credit: ® Todd White

London Westminster Bridge with a procession of civic barges

A View of Greenwich from the River. Credit: ® Tate, 2014

“Ɖs z ɖ frst tîm ɖt ɖz magnifisnt pêntñz n drōñz bî Canalīțo hv bn brwt tgɖr t pṛvîd an ovrvy v Canalīțo’z wrc crietd btwn 1746 n 1755, ẇlst h wz vizitñ Britn.

Jrñ hiz nîn-yir ste in Britn h dokmentd nt jst tṛdišnl or istablišt vyz n landmācs bt olso hiz (n hiz pêtṛnz’) lêtist ačivmnts in ācitecčr n enjinirñ. Ɖ dpiẋnz v ɖz ny bildñwrcs n projcts, ẇɖr câčt in Ṗlêdı̣n, Ḅroc or Goʈic stîlz, seḷbret ɖ ny-fând welʈ n ašuṛns v ɖ Britiš nêšn, rflctñ cntmprri dveḷpmnts in popylr culčr, sč az ɖ rīdiscuvri v Šêxpir, ɖ sxes v Handl’z Msaia n ɖ cult v Cñ Alfrid – ẇč in trn spwnd Ān’z imwtl Rūl Britaňa.

Set intu contxt, by 1750 ɖ frst jeṇrešn v Ṗlêdı̣n ācitects n pêtṛnz (Brlñtn, Cambl n Cent) wr ded, n ɖ nêšn wz redi fr a mr libṛl atityd t ācitcčṛl dzîn. Britn itslf wz a mr stebl n confidnt plês ɖn it hd bn īvn ʈrti yirz bfr. Jrñ ɖ rīsnt Wor v ɖ Ostrı̣n Sxešn, ɖ nêšn hd held ontu its ny c̣lôňl gênz n hd sxidd in fwsñ Spên t ôpn p Sâʈ America t its trêdrz. Ɖ icoṇmi wz būmñ n ɖ Jac̣bît ʈret hd ivaṗretd. Acwdñli, a ny, mr confidnt jeṇrešn, profitñ fṛm ɖ Jwjn Reṿlušn n incrisñli ašurd bî Britn’z stêṭs az a mêjr wrldpâr, wz priperd t b ls rejimentd bî Ṗlêdı̣n rūlz n mr iclctc in its ācitcčṛl patṛnij, sīcñ culčṛl inspirešn nt jst fṛm ɖ Mediṭreňn bt olso fṛm ɖer ôn histri.

Ɖs ny fând confidns, sigṇld ʈru ɖ ācitcčr v Ḅroc mastrz sč az Rén (at St Pwl’z n St Mẹri’z, Woric), Hwcsmur (at Westminstr Abi’z west târz) n ɖ Goʈic rvîvl, mācs Britn ât az ɖ ny Venis, ẇč wz ɖ riyl subjct v Canalīțo’z grt canvsz on dsple in ɖs xibišn.”